U.S. patent number 10,092,122 [Application Number 15/241,561] was granted by the patent office on 2018-10-09 for slip resistant mat with stabilizing projections.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Cintas Corporate Services, Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Cintas Corporation. Invention is credited to Richard R. Bing, Patrick J. Chilenski, Jeffery L. Cofer, Ian S. Malpass, David Mesko.
United States Patent |
10,092,122 |
Bing , et al. |
October 9, 2018 |
Slip resistant mat with stabilizing projections
Abstract
A slip resistant floor mat includes a number of upstanding
projections in the form of blades or teeth arranged on an upper
surface thereof. The blades or teeth deflect under a load and
dissipate the force of the load so that the tendency of the mat to
slip on the underlying floor is reduced.
Inventors: |
Bing; Richard R. (West Chester,
OH), Chilenski; Patrick J. (Cincinnati, OH), Cofer;
Jeffery L. (Conyers, GA), Malpass; Ian S. (Palm Beach
Gardens, FL), Mesko; David (Wyoming, OH) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Cintas Corporation |
Cincinnati |
OH |
US |
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Assignee: |
Cintas Corporate Services, Inc.
(Cincinnati, OH)
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Family
ID: |
58103221 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/241,561 |
Filed: |
August 19, 2016 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20170055749 A1 |
Mar 2, 2017 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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62209379 |
Aug 25, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G
27/0212 (20130101); A47G 27/0231 (20130101); Y10T
428/24182 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
B32B
3/00 (20060101); A47G 27/02 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Thomas; Alexander S
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Wood Herron & Evans LLP
Parent Case Text
This claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.
No. 62/209,379, filed Aug. 25, 2015 and hereby incorporated by
reference in its entirety.
Claims
We claim:
1. A slip resistant mat comprising: a mat body having an upper
surface and a lower surface for juxtaposing next to a floor
surface; and a plurality of projections extending upwardly from the
upper surface, the plurality of projections each being capable of
deflection from a generally vertical orientation relative to the
upper surface of the mat in response to a load applied to the
plurality of projections to hereby inhibit movement of the mat
relative to the floor surface; wherein at least some of the
plurality of projections contact adjacent projections when
deflected; wherein the plurality of projections are arranged in a
plurality of quadrants, with the projections in some of the
quadrants being arranged in a perpendicular orientation relative to
the projections in other quadrants.
2. The slip resistant mat of claim 1: wherein a first set of the
projections are of one height and a second set of projections are
of a second height, different from the first height.
3. The slip resistant mat of claim 1 further comprising: a
peripheral ramp edge extending around a substantial portion of a
perimeter of the mat body.
4. The slip resistant mat of claim 1 further comprising: a channel
formed at a perimeter of the mat body to provide for discharge of
accumulated fluids from the upper surface of the mat body.
5. The slip resistant mat of claim 1 wherein each of the
projections is equally spaced from an adjacent projection.
6. The slip resistant mat of claim 1 wherein a cross-sectional
configuration of each of the projections is substantially identical
to a cross-sectional configuration of each other projection.
7. A slip resistant mat comprising: a mat body having an upper
surface and a lower surface for juxtaposing next to a floor
surface; and a plurality of projections extending upwardly from the
upper surface, the plurality of projections each being capable of
deflection from a generally vertical orientation relative to the
upper surface of the mat in response to a load applied to the
plurality of projections to hereby inhibit movement of the mat
relative to the floor surface; wherein the plurality of projections
is arranged in a plurality of generally equally spaced rows and the
projections in a first row are staggered relative to the
projections in an adjacent row; wherein the plurality of
projections is arranged in a plurality of quadrants, with the
projections in some of the quadrants being arranged in a
perpendicular orientation relative to the projections in other
quadrants; wherein at least some of the plurality of projections
contact adjacent projections when deflected.
8. The slip resistant mat of claim 7 wherein each of the plurality
of projections has a generally rectangular cross-section.
9. The slip resistant mat of claim 7 wherein a first set of the
projections are of one height and a second set of projections are
of a second height, different from the first height.
10. A slip resistant mat comprising: a mat body having an upper
surface and a lower surface for juxtaposing next to a floor
surface; and a plurality of projections extending upwardly from the
upper surface, each of the projections is equally spaced from an
adjacent projection and is capable of deflection from a generally
vertical orientation relative to the upper surface of the mat in
response to a load applied to the plurality of projections to
hereby inhibit movement of the mat relative to the floor surface;
wherein the plurality of projections is arranged in a plurality of
generally equally spaced rows and at least some of the plurality of
projections contacts adjacent projections when deflected; wherein
the plurality of projections is arranged in a plurality of
quadrants, with the projections in some of the quadrants being
arranged in a perpendicular orientation relative to the projections
in other quadrants; wherein the projections in a first row are
staggered relative to the projections in an adjacent row.
11. The slip resistant mat of claim 10 wherein each of the
plurality of projections has a generally rectangular
cross-section.
12. The slip resistant mat of claim 10 wherein a first set of the
projections are of one height and a second set of projections are
of a second height, different from the first height.
13. A slip resistant mat comprising: a mat body having an upper
surface and a lower surface for juxtaposing next to a floor
surface; and a plurality of projections extending upwardly from the
upper surface, each of the projections is equally spaced from an
adjacent projection and is capable of deflection from a generally
vertical orientation relative to the upper surface of the mat in
response to a load applied to the plurality of projections to
hereby inhibit movement of the mat relative to the floor surface;
wherein the plurality of projections is arranged in a plurality of
generally equally spaced rows and at least some of the plurality of
projections contacts adjacent projections when deflected; wherein
the plurality of projections are arranged in a plurality of
quadrants, with the projections in some of the quadrants being
arranged in a perpendicular orientation relative to the projections
in other quadrants.
14. The slip resistant mat of claim 13 further comprising: a
peripheral ramp edge extending around a substantial portion of a
perimeter of the mat body.
15. The slip resistant mat of claim 14 further comprising: a
channel formed at a perimeter of the mat body to provide for
discharge of accumulated fluids from the upper surface of the mat
body.
16. The slip resistant mat of claim 13 wherein a cross-sectional
configuration of each of the projections is substantially identical
to a cross-sectional configuration of each other projection.
17. A slip resistant mat comprising: a mat body having an upper
surface and a lower surface for juxtaposing next to a floor
surface; and a plurality of projections extending upwardly from the
upper surface, each of the projections is equally spaced from an
adjacent projection and is capable of deflection from a generally
vertical orientation relative to the upper surface of the mat in
response to a load applied to the plurality of projections to
hereby inhibit movement of the mat relative to the floor surface;
wherein each of the plurality of projections has a generally
rectangular cross-section; wherein the plurality of projections are
arranged in a plurality of generally equally spaced rows and at
least some of the plurality of projections contact adjacent
projections when deflected, wherein the projections in a first row
are staggered relative to the projections in an adjacent row; a
first set of the projections are of one height and a second set of
projections are of a second height, different from the first
height; wherein the plurality of projections are arranged in a
plurality of quadrants, with the projections in some of the
quadrants being arranged in a perpendicular orientation relative to
the projections in other quadrants; a peripheral ramp edge
extending around a substantial portion of a perimeter of the mat
body; and a channel formed at a perimeter of the mat body to
provide for discharge of accumulated fluids from the upper surface
of the mat body.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to floor mats and, more
particularly, to a floor mat which resists slipping relative to the
underlying floor when a force is applied to the top of the mat such
as a foot step, rolling cart or similar interaction.
In the past, floor mats were often made with either a smooth back,
primarily for solid or non carpeted floors, or with a variety of
"grippers" or "cleats" arranged on a bottom surface of the mat to
reduce movement of the mat on carpeted floors. However, both of
these approaches resulted in floor mats that were not skid
resistant on smooth floors, especially those floors with high
traffic areas or loads being moved over them. The movement of the
mat in the gripper/cleat mat design results from the force of foot,
vehicle and other traffic on the mat which causes a deformation
around the compressed area of the mat and then upon removal of such
force the mat returns to a different position on the floor. For the
smooth back mats, movement of the mat results from similar forces
and the lack of any device or feature intended to secure the mat in
place.
A number of approaches have been attempted to reduce the movement
or slippage of mats relative to an underlying floor. One known
approach to the problem is to fasten the mat to the intended floor
surface by various devices, such as that suggested by Kessler in
U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,908. The invention of that patent utilizes a
system by which a mat is fastened to the surface using a clip
system. While this approach is well-developed, it results in floor
mats that are difficult or impossible to move from place to place
and the structures required to attach the mat add cost to the mat
and difficulty during the installation. Also, attached mats are
typically more rigid.
Another approach involves the use of a frame into which the mat is
placed, such as the frames used by Moffitt, Jr. in U.S. Pat. No.
4,361,614 and Kessler in U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,915. The frame can be
located upon the flooring surface or inlaid to be flush with the
flooring surface. In either circumstance, unless the frame is
fastened as mentioned above or embedded in the surface, the frame
still has a tendency to shift relative to the floor surface. If the
frame is fastened or embedded, the other problems mentioned above
still remain including particularly the ability to relocate the mat
to a different location on the floor.
Another approach involves the use of suction cups, such as those
commonly found on shower and bath mats, examples of which can be
found by Lindholm in U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,779 in which the corners
of a rectangular mat are held by four suction cups and by Gavlak in
U.S. Pat. No. 2,081,992 in which a plurality of suctions cups holds
the bathtub mat to the surface. While this approach often provides
acceptable slip-resistance for light shower and bath mat
applications, traditional suctions cups are not sufficient to
provide sufficient anti-skidding forces to prevent slipping and
movement in high traffic and high load areas particularly on smooth
floors such as tile, marble or wood floors. Traditional suction
cups also result in a wavy mat surface which is more difficult for
individuals and loads to traverse.
As mentioned, existing approaches to reducing movement of mats
include significant limitations. Further, the known approaches
require additional space, components, installation effort and cost,
often at the expense of functionality. As a result, significant
improvement can still be made relative to reducing the movement of
mats.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other shortcomings with prior mats have been addressed
with this invention which in various embodiments utilizes
projections formed on the top surface of the mat to reduce movement
of the mat on the underlying surface, typically floors. This
invention utilizes a number of projections to reduce the movement
of the mat. The projections are formed on the top surface of the
mat. Upon an initial force being applied to the mat, such as a
footstep or vehicular traffic, the projections are deformed or
deflected, thereby providing a force that acts to adhere the mat to
the surface and assist in retaining the mat in its original
position. As the force over a particular area of the mat increases,
if the force is sufficiently large, the projections will deform or
bend to dissipate the force of the traffic on the mat so that
movement of the mat relative to the floor is reduced, minimized or
eliminated. The projections accept and dissipate the forces that
act to oppose the lateral motion of the mat on the floor that would
otherwise result from the applied forces.
The size, shape and specifications of the projections can be varied
and the projections can be positioned in a variety of arrangements
on the mat. The projections can be any shape that is formed on the
top surface of the mat, provided that they bend or deflect upon
contact. In one embodiment, the projections are spaced blades or
teeth with a rectangular cross-section and are arranged in rows
with the projections in each row being of the same height and the
projections in alternating rows are of different heights. In
various embodiments, the projections are positioned in evenly
spaced parallel rows resulting in an evenly spaced grid
arrangement, although they can be spaced in varied combinations. In
one embodiment, the pattern does not extend to the edge of the mat
in order to prevent tearing and permit the edge of the mat to
include a ramp.
In another embodiment, the projections are different sizes and
shapes. The existence of multiple sizes and shapes of projections
permits improved performance on a variety of floor surfaces since
larger projections perform better on some surfaces and smaller
projections perform better on others.
While the mat can be made from different materials, it is typically
rubber. The rubber can be a soft, low durometer rubber compound,
such as LD-35, by being plied to a T6 aluminum mold to form the
projections. Also, if desired, additives can be introduced to the
mat to make it anti-bacterial.
One advantage of the invention is that the mat resists slipping to
a much greater extent than existing mat designs. Another advantage
of the invention is that the edges of the mat are more stable and
therefore it is less of a tripping hazard or obstacle than
traditional mats in which the edge of the mat easily rolls up onto
or under the mat. Another advantage is that the mat of this
invention provides the enhanced slip-resistance without adding any
weight or installation complexity. Another advantage is that the
invention does not require any permanent fastening means and is
therefore easy to move to different locations. Another advantage is
that the projections provide some additional cushioning for
pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Another advantage is that the
cushioning of the projections yields an anti-fatigue effect,
thereby resulting in reduced wear and tear and routine maintenance
and increased user comfort, especially for locally stationed
employees spending long period of time on the mat. Another
advantage of the invention is that the slip-resistance is effective
on a wide variety of surfaces because of the use variable spaced,
sized and shaped projections.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this
invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more
apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by
reference to the following description of embodiments of the
invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a slip resistant
mat according this invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the encircled portion 2 of FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is a top plan and enlarged view of the mat of FIGS. 1-2;
and
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the mat of FIG. 2 taken along
line 4-4 of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, one embodiment of a slip-resistant mat 10 with
stabilizing projections 12 according to this invention is shown.
The mat 10 includes a mat body 14 having an upper surface 16. A
number of projections 12 extend upwardly from the upper surface 16
of the mat body 14. The projections 12, according to various
embodiments of this invention, are arranged in multiple-spaced rows
18, and are similarly oriented in one embodiment of this invention.
In various embodiments of this invention, the projections 12 may be
arranged in an orderly consistent uniform arrangement, at least in
portions of the mat 10. In alternative embodiments of this
invention, the projections 12 are arranged in sections, or
quadrants 20, with the orientation of the projections 12 and the
rows 18 being generally perpendicular to the orientation of the
projections 12 and rows 18 in adjacent quadrants 20 or sections of
the mat 10. This arrangement is readily seen in FIG. 1.
The mat 10 includes a peripheral ramp edge 22 extending around a
perimeter of the mat body 14. The ramp edge 22 provides an angled
transition from the mat body 14 to a floor 24 upon which the mat 10
is positioned. As such, in various embodiments of this invention,
the mat 10 may be considered a scraper mat. A channel 26 is formed
at the juncture between two portions of the ramp edge 22, as shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2. The channel 26 provides an avenue for the
discharge of any accumulated water, fluids, or other materials,
from the upper surface 16 of the mat body 14 toward the surrounding
floor 24 or other surfaces.
The projections 12 extending upwardly from the mat body 14 may be
in any arrangement, configuration, shape, or size, according to
this invention. The projections 12 shown in FIGS. 1-4 are each
rectangular in cross-sectional configuration and the height of the
projections 12 in alternating rows varies, for example. The
projections 12 in one row 18 may be less than the height of the
projections 12 in an adjacent row 18. For example, as shown in FIG.
4, the height A of the lower projections 12 may be 0.125 inches,
and the height B of the taller projections 12 may be 0.1875 inches,
according to one embodiment of this invention. Similarly, the width
of each projection 12, as indicated by C in FIG. 3, may be 0.09375
inches, and the length of each projection 12, indicated by D in
FIG. 3, may be 0.375. The spacing between the adjacent rows 18 of
projections 12 is indicated by E in FIG. 3, and may be 0.125 inches
in one embodiment of this invention. The projections 12 in each row
18 are spaced longitudinally from one another as indicated by F in
FIG. 3 and this dimension may be 0.125 inches in one
embodiment.
Additionally, as is readily evident from FIG. 3, the projections 12
in one row 18 are staggered, or offset, from the projections in an
adjacent row, such that the gap between the projections in a given
row is centered on the projections in each of the adjacent
rows.
In various embodiments of this invention, the projections 12 may be
considered upstanding teeth or blades; however, the configuration
of the projections 12 and their arrangement and spacing may be any
of a wide variety of designs within the scope of this invention,
with only one such embodiment of this invention being shown and
described herein.
In use, when vehicular or foot traffic passes over and atop the mat
10 situated on the floor 24, the projections 12 are able to deflect
or bend, relative to the upper surface 16 of the mat body 14. As
such, the projections 12 may bend to such a degree as they impact
the projections 12 in an adjacent row 18. The interaction of the
projections 12 during such loads serves to cushion the user's
impact with the mat 10, and likewise, dissipate the lateral and
other forces resulting from the interaction with the mat 10 that
might otherwise tend to shift, translate, or move the mat 10
relative to the floor 24. It is believed that the ability for the
projections 12 to bend relative to a remainder of the mat 10 and
the interaction between the bending projections 12 increases the
resistance of the mat 10 to slipping relative to the floor 24. Once
the load is removed from the mat 10, the projections return to
their upright orientation, as shown generally in FIG. 4. A lower
surface 28 of the mat 10, as shown in FIG. 4, may have additional
friction coating or features to further minimize the slippage of
the mat 10 relative to the floor 24. The projections 12 in
combination with the exposed upper surface 16 of the mat body 14
contribute to form an upper surface of the mat 10 as shown
generally in FIGS. 3-4.
From the above disclosure of the general principles of this
invention and the preceding detailed description of at least one
embodiment, those skilled in the art will readily comprehend the
various modifications to which this invention is susceptible.
Therefore, we desire to be limited only by the scope of the
following claims and equivalents thereof.
* * * * *